Relative and Absolute Dating Methods

Introduction to Dating Methods00:00:00

Archaeologists use dating methods to determine the age of ancient remains. These methods fall into two main categories: relative dating and absolute dating.

Relative Dating Explained00:00:11

Relative dating aims to order objects or archaeological cultures chronologically. This is typically achieved through stratigraphy, which involves studying the layers of soil and rock.

Absolute Dating Explained00:00:24

Absolute dating seeks to pinpoint a specific point in the past when an object or culture existed. In the Southeast, radiocarbon dating is a common method for this. Archaeologists find charcoal associated with what they want to date, measure its age using radiocarbon dating, and then assign that age to the associated materials.